Radomski said he was not aware of any chancellors in UW’s history who came from outside academia. However, he added there was little harm in opening up the search for future university leaders to those who aren’t professors.

He also noted the jobs of chancellors have changed over the years -- "they are more involved in raising money from donors and building relationships with state lawmakers, and have far less to do with academic affairs, which are often handled by provosts, deans and other support staff."

“Do you really need to have (a chancellor) with a tenure-track background?” Radomski asked. “Today’s president and chancellor is so different from yesterday’s.”